Quaero Libertas
by Xiiravi
Summary: Sometimes even the best-laid plans aren't entirely foolproof. When a young Harry finds Riddle’s diary and other valued possessions, what things will the boy discover? And how will his world be affected? Warnings: Future slash, rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__ I have not, nor ever will, own the Potterverse. If anyone is silly enough to believe J.K. Rowling would get an account on FanFiction and write about slash pairings and AU situations, you've probably bumped your head more than normal, and need to be visiting a psychiatrist. _

_**Summary:**____Sometimes even the best-laid plans aren't entirely foolproof. When a young Harry finds Riddle's diary and other valued possessions, what things will the boy discover? And how will his world be affected? __**Warnings:**__ AU-ish, future slash main pairing (male/male), minors of het and slash. Will take place over several years, so time jumps/skips will occur._

_A Treasure for Me_

Lucius Malfoy and other members of Voldemort's Inner Circle cursed vehemently as the wards surrounding the meeting place fell. He scooped up the numerous artifacts, sweeping them into a charmed bag before heading towards the hidden panel set in the wall of the back parlor. Soon came the sound of the front door crashing into the ground, Aurors and low ranking Death Eaters alike shouting deadly spells at their enemy.

Members of the Inner Circle had spent _months_ tracking down their Lord's Horcruxes; researching, bribing, killing to get what was necessary. Their effort and the Dark Lord's soul would not be wasted by a run-in with the Aurors. The remaining members covered for their temporary leader, giving him time to escape with the priceless possessions. With grim determination, the Dark wizards turned to face their adversaries, wands raised and glowing sickly greens and reds.

The Malfoy patriarch slipped down the dark alley unseen by the wizards engaged in battle, bag clutched tightly to his chest. Just as he left the anti-Apparition wards the Circle had erected, he felt another larger blanket ward snap into place. Now he would have to move quickly to get away in time, or risk losing his freedom and the key to his Lord's survival.

Lucius reached a small park near an elementary school, both dark at such a late hour in the night. With reinforcements for the Aurors pouring in, searching for _him_, the blond made a hasty decision and stashed the bag into a clump of bushes nearby. He would come back for it later, if he got away. After all, it was charmed so none of the muggles frequenting this park would find it. With a last glance in the direction of the oncoming danger, he escaped through the trees into the conforming suburbia of this miserable town.

----

Doors banged apart as children flooded out of the school building, eager to escape the confines of their classrooms. A small boy hung back in hopes of avoiding the chaos as the other kids pushed past ruthlessly. Soon the gathering of students and their families started to thin and the boy crossed the street heading towards the park. The Dursleys wouldn't notice or care if he didn't come home right away- as long as he was back before they locked up for the night. Harry headed eagerly towards the swings with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, it's widdle Potty!" Before Harry had time to react to the snotty voice, he was roughly shoved into the prickly shrubbery around the base of a large tree. "What's the matter, freak, can't you even _walk_ properly? You're _pathetic!"_ Taunting insults and laughter only added salt to his wounded pride while the gang of bullies sauntered off happily.

"_Jerks." _Harry sneered at their backs and frowned as he brushed a bit of blood off his cheek from where the sharp branches had sliced into him. The child sought for a handhold amongst the brambles, and instead came across soft velvet. Looking down curiously, he saw a deep royal blue drawstring bag with black braided silken cords that kept its contents from spilling out. It was sitting in the brush at the base of the tree and was probably about the same size as his book bag. If someone had left it here, they must not have wanted it. Or maybe they lost it? Harry glanced around, but saw no one looking for anything lost in the park.

Curiously, he picked up the bag and looked inside. He let out a gasp at seeing the beautifully crafted pieces inside. He felt a slight tug; an urge to pick up the items and do… _something_ with them but he wasn't really sure what that would be. Harry quickly pulled the strings shut again and stuffed it in his own bag. This was the first treasure he'd ever found, and he _wasn't _going to share it with Dudley. Ever. These were _his _treasures, just for Harry. Almost to excited to even think, the child hurried back to Privet Drive so he could explore his treasures in the safety of his cupboard.

---

After dinner finished and Harry was excused, he practically fled to his 'room' anxious to further explore his new things. As he knew the telly would occupy his family for at least several hours, he pulled the velvet case out of his school bag and opened it. The odd tugging sensation returned, but Harry just passed it off as being happy he had something to _himself._ Reaching in, he pulled out an ornate golden cup, with detailed decorations on the handles. It was a lot better than any of the cups the Dursleys had.

The next item, to Harry, looked like one of the dress-up crown-like headbands the girls at school sometimes wore. It looked old and a bit dirty, but it was still nice. Digging again, his hand caught on a thin chain and pulled it out. Attached to the chain was a lovely gold locket, with a curled _'S'_ embossed onto the front. Harry quickly slid it over his head and around his neck, where it pulsed warmly before shrinking to fit more properly on the young child. He gasped in awe as he felt it settle, the odd pulling sensation dissipating from this object, replaced by a 'connected' feeling. Small fingers gently curved around the locket, and a soothing warmth flooded through him.

Grinning at the discovery, Harry dumped whatever else was in the bag onto his cot. A book flopped down, and giving the back one last tiny shake, a ring popped out and rolled towards him. As it bumped his leg, it shrunk down to a much smaller size and proceeded to lie there innocently. Interest gripped him, and he moved picked up the golden band to observe it more closely. The air seemed to almost hiss at him as his fingers neared, but then the locket gave a little glow and the ring sat docile once more. The ring also gave off warmth in his hand—unusual trait for previously unhandled metal—and he turned it to get a better look. There was a black stone set into the band, with something etched into the surface.

Squinting in the poor light, Harry could make out a triangle that had a line down the middle, with a circle set inside the triangle. The ebony-haired child slid the piece of jewelry onto his finger, noticing how it seemed to "settle" like the locket. He knew that these things weren't _normal_ like the Dursleys obsessed about, but Harry found he couldn't be happier that they were special. At last his eyes roved over to the leather bound but sitting innocently on his bed. Upon further inspection, it seemed just a blank book- but Harry knew it felt like the things he wore. So why wasn't it doing anything?

Maybe it was only special if you used it, like when putting on the necklace and ring. Harry didn't have anything to write with in his cupboard, so he decided to bring the book to school tomorrow. He slid it under his pillow after hiding the bag and other items under a floorboard. Eyes heavy with sleep drifted shut, fingers gently playing with the locket. That night Harry dreamt of comforting whispers and red-swirled blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Diclaimer:**__Cannot, will not own. Shan't ever either. I simply borrow, play, and twist to amuse._

_*****Looking for Beta. **_

_Short, but better than the other drafts. Polls in profile are key to a story's continuance. Profile has FREQUENT information updates since_ I don't post A/N only chapters_. Chapters late? Getting bored? Check there._

_-----------_

**My Secret**

'_Harry…' _Soft words filtered into his dream.

'_Harry, it's time to get up…'_

Really? _But it's so nice… Can't I sleep?_ He cuddled further into the ratty blanket covering him.

'_Wake up, Harry.'_

_Why?_

'_It's time to—'_   

"_WAKE–UP!_" Harry jolted upright, a hand relentlessly battering down his cupboard door as a shrill voice chased away all semblance of sleep. "Get _up_ you little wretch!"

"I-I'm up, Aunt Petunia!"

"_Finally!" _The latch clicked and he waited for the sound of her steps retreating before scrambling

from his nest.

Harry frowned and he grabbed at his necklace. It still crackled with energy, but it didn't feel as… special anymore. Neither did the ring. He strung the ring onto the chain, and tucked the intricate jewelry under his shirt. Out of sight, it was safe from the Dursleys.

"_Thankless boy, never appreciates any…" _He grimaced at his Aunt's mutterings, heading to the kitchen to start breakfast.

-o-o-o-o-

Lucius seethed, snarling menacingly as he stalked the halls of his manor. When he returned to the blasted park barely twenty hours later, the horcruxes were _gone. _Gone! After the pains they had all taken with 'notice-me-not's, protection spells, and muggle repellents, the blasted bag was _missing! _Retrieval would have been simple, if not for one irritaiting, irrevocable fact.

_The anti-summoning and locating spells used._ Lucius stormed into his study.

Oh the irony. The Inner Circle had strived so desperately to ensure that no one—_no one—_was capable of finding or obtaining the damnable thing. And it was that very paranoia of discovery that led to this predicament. A particularly vicious swipe sent a priceless antique careening into the hearth, gilded glass shattering into thousands of pieces against the elaborate marble.

"_D–Daddy?" _Lucius straightened immediately and smoothed his expression when the fearful eyes of his son peeked out of the adjoining library.

"Draco." He watched impassively as his heir edged further into the room.

"Are—I–is everything all right?" Lucius internally sighed. As upset as he was, this was no face to show to his child.

"Everything will be fine, Draco. I just need to think some things through." He turned and reached for the liquor cabinet, pulling out a glass and bottle. Lucius felt like he deserved a break.

Draco fidgeted uncertainly, before perking up a little. "Would talking to Severus help? That's what I do!"

Lucius arrested his movement, looking down at his son for a moment. He set the bottle down as a wry smile crept across his face. "Yes, I think perhaps I shall…"

-o-o-o-o-

He felt more powerful than ever; with the binding ward removed from his container, he started to reabsorb the other smaller shards. He was slowly becoming whole, and all that was left was his other half. That was the only fairly unexpected detail.

Somehow, another fragment had enough power and call to fuse itself with other fragments. What were essentially seven were now only three. And the third was safely in a vault somewhere under a stasis spell, waiting to be called upon.

Now that his goal was so _close,_ he could almost taste it. Now it was just a matter of time and power. There was plenty of the first, but the Being so near to him wasn't a viable source of the latter. It would be like draining himself. Senseless, truly—the others, though… Oh yes. He could work with this.

-o-o-o-o-

It was _thrilling,_ having a wonderful secret all your own. Especially having a secret as astounding as his newest treasure. Most kids would scoff and call it a diary—a girl's toy. But Harry knew better. This was a _magical_ diary, that wrote back! Okay, so it definitely sounded girly, but it was his!

Harry clutched at the soft leather cover to his chest, and rested against a tree on the playground's outer edge. Flipping the journal back open, he watched another's script flow neatly across the page. The green-eyed boy grinned widely and scrawled his response. The conversation volleyed back and forth, Harry delighted at having someone other than teachers to talk to.

'…_but Dudley was too fat, and fell! I would've laughed, but he'd have probably run home to cry at his mummy. What a bonehead!' _

Harry had been talking to the person in the book—'Marvolo'—all day. Once a teacher picked it up to see what he was so absorbed by, and he had been scared she'd take Marvolo away. When she handed the book back with a smile, the brunette had been stunned to see a page full of his class notes. Notes he knew he hadn't taken. _'Try not to get caught next time'_ appeared briefly towards the bottom.

Currently he was telling some of his life stories to Marvolo. He'd sometimes interject with things that made Harry think he already knew them. But he couldn't, right? Marvolo wasn't like God or anything…

'_Such disgusting people, these muggles you live with. They're not worth your time.' _Marvolo said things like this a lot. Harry secretly agreed, whatever a muggle was, but he had nowhere else to go. And no one else wanted him; even his Aunt and Uncle said so.

"_Maybe so." _Harry decided to change the subject. _'Were you always a book? Or did you get stuck in there? Is it a curse?'_

'_I did have a human form, once...this book is similar to a curse, but not quite. There is a way to get out, but it takes time.'_

'_Is there anything I can do to help?' _

'_Help? You already are…'_

-o-o-o-o-

Later that night, Harry lit a small tea candle with a match—both of which he scavenged from one of the cupboards. Rereading the page, he found himself following odd directions at Marvolo's insistence.

'_So, what's this for?'_

'_It's a surprise, you'll see. Do you trust me?'_

'_Of course! It just sounds odd, is all.'_

'_Well, do it or don't.' _With that, a large reverse-inkblot seemed to swallow the opposite page.

Dutifully, Harry placed a thin hand on the blackened sheet. Instead of the odd wet-paper sensation he'd expected, his hand encountered something that felt like cool liquid air. Suddenly the darkness of the page _writhed _and drew up from its two-dimensional mass. His eyes grew wide and he attempted to pull his hand back in fear, but tendrils from the shadow shot up wrapping tightly around the appendage.

"_Marvolo?!" _The harsh whisper shattered the silence of the space, and the chilled shades slithered up his arm. What was at first cool chilled his skin right through to the bone, numbness spreading throughout his arm. Harry trusted Marvolo, he really did… but this thing was scary. It was when the offending creeper curled delicately around his throat in a dark parody of his necklace that he was ready to scream.

Before he could utter a sound, the thing oozed up, stretching to seal shut his mouth. It slid up the side of his face in a cold gentle caress, threading through his thick tangled locks, cupping the back of his head. He could only let out a terrified whimper. _I don't want to die!_ Small limb-like sections split off of the large column and dove into his chest, twining themselves around his heart. The vine-like shadow nestled against his face flowed around to his temples and sank into his thoughts.

As his body went limp, Harry's mind raced.


End file.
